Ji Xu was stunned by Cheng Yue’s reaction to being called a pervert for asking him to wash an apple. He didn’t understand how asking someone to wash an apple could be considered perverted.
Seeing Ji Xu’s puzzled look, Cheng Yue swallowed hard, his mind racing. Maybe Ji Xu was just tired from work today and it was a simple misunderstanding…
But then again, it didn’t make sense for Ji Xu to need him to wash him in a shower…
Ji Xu, frowning, gathered the documents and set them on the coffee table, then turned to focus on Cheng Yue.
Feeling extremely embarrassed, Cheng Yue didn’t know where to look.
“Was it about washing the apple?” Ji Xu’s expression changed as he caught on to something.
“Washing the apple?” Cheng Yue was confused.
“What were you actually talking about?” Ji Xu asked.
Cheng Yue’s face turned from red to pale. After taking a few deep breaths to calm down, he finally managed to explain, “I was asking about washing the apple. I also wanted to know if you wanted grapes or anything else?”
“No, thank you.” Ji Xu still felt something was off but decided to ask, “What exactly are you washing?”
“I said the apple!”
Cheng Yue, feeling mortified, grabbed two apples from the fruit bowl on the coffee table and headed towards the kitchen.
After washing the apples, Cheng Yue handed them to Ji Xu and quickly scurried back to his room, feeling like a whirlwind.
Ji Xu stared at the apples for a moment, then stood up, frowning, and walked slowly towards Cheng Yue’s room.
When Cheng Yue sat on the bed and tried to cool his flushed face with water from his hands, he heard a knock on his room door.
“Cheng Yue?” Ji Xu called from outside.
Panicking, Cheng Yue wiped his face with his T-shirt, then got up and opened the door, trying to appear calm as he looked up at Ji Xu and asked, “What’s up?”
Ji Xu scrutinized his face but saw nothing unusual. He handed Cheng Yue an apple.
Cheng Yue took it, intending to eat it after Ji Xu left, but he couldn’t resist and took a bite right away.
The apple was juicy, making a crunching sound.
Ji Xu looked at the water droplets on his arm, his expression shifting before he finally managed to say, with a hint of resignation, “Eat quickly, and take a shower afterward.”
The mention of a shower caused Cheng Yue to choke on the half-eaten apple. After a few coughs, he grabbed a set of pajamas from his suitcase and followed Ji Xu out.
The water was very warm, especially when poured over his head and shoulders. It felt like he was wrapped up in warmth.
Cheng Yue loved the intense flow of the water and stood there as if rooted to the spot, not wanting to move.
Ji Xu finished reviewing the documents and realized something was off. Checking the clock, he saw that Cheng Yue had been in the shower for at least 40 minutes.
Frowning, Ji Xu placed the documents on the coffee table and knocked on the bathroom door.
Cheng Yue was so enveloped in the water that he didn’t hear the knocking.
Hearing no sound from inside, Ji Xu called out Cheng Yue’s name. When there was still no response after a minute, he decided to open the door.
As soon as the door was opened, Cheng Yue, with his head under the water, turned his gaze towards the noise.
When Cheng Yue saw Ji Xu, his eyes widened in shock, and he stumbled backward in panic.
If Ji Xu weren’t a pervert, he would share the same surname with him!
Ji Xu was taken aback by Cheng Yue’s surprised reaction, but he quickly regained his composure. He gave Cheng Yue a calm nod and shut the door behind him.
Cheng Yue, feeling conflicted, finished the rest of his shower. When he emerged and saw Ji Xu sitting on the sofa, he felt a surge of fear.
“Finished?” Ji Xu glanced at him as he came out.
“Uh, yes.” Cheng Yue, unable to meet Ji Xu’s eyes, nodded awkwardly and hurried back to his room.
Ji Xu watched Cheng Yue’s retreating figure with frustration and rubbed his temples. After sitting on the sofa for a while and organizing the scattered documents, he took a shower himself and went to bed.
The next day.
Ji Xu always woke up early and figured Cheng Yue probably wouldn’t be up this early. After getting himself ready and finishing breakfast, he left a portion of it for Cheng Yue.
He then went to Cheng Yue’s room to wake him up before heading out.
Cheng Yue had trouble sleeping at night, though the days were fine. At night, he tended to overthink and miss his mom. By the end, he had cried himself to sleep under a soaked blanket.
When Ji Xu knocked on his door early in the morning, Cheng Yue had just fallen asleep. So when Ji Xu asked if he was up, Cheng Yue replied he was just about to get up.
By the time the front door closed with a click, Cheng Yue was completely wrapped up in his blanket, fast asleep.
When Ji Xu came back around noon to take Cheng Yue out for lunch, he found the room empty when he opened the door.
“Cheng Yue?” Ji Xu called out after changing his shoes.
No one responded from inside the room.
Ji Xu narrowed his eyes at the still-closed door and checked his watch.
It was already 12:40.
He went over and opened the door, finding a lump of blankets on the bed and a messy tuft of yellow hair peeking out from under the blankets.
Ji Xu frowned and pulled the blanket off.
“What the hell! Who’s there!”
Cheng Yue shouted, confused and disoriented, not grasping the situation, “Are you insane? Do you want to die?”
Ji Xu remained silent, standing over him with a stern look.
After Cheng Yue had vented his frustration and started feeling the cold air around him, he gradually woke up. He glanced fearfully at Ji Xu and then down at his own body. Hesitant, he hugged the displaced blanket to cover himself and shield certain parts that were waking up due to natural physiological reasons.
“You must get up before 8 a.m. every day.” Ji Xu said firmly, observing Cheng Yue’s pale face and dark circles under his eyes.
Cheng Yue’s sleeping patterns were unhealthy, and Ji Xu couldn’t understand why anyone would stay in bed until past noon and still struggle to wake up.
“8 a.m.?” Cheng Yue, still clutching the blanket, widened his eyes and protested, “That’s so early! I can’t get up.”
“Fine.” Ji Xu said impatiently, reaching out to move Cheng Yue’s long hair away from his eyes. “You can also choose to enforce some rules on yourself.”
“Like what?” Cheng Yue mumbled, barely awake and indifferent about any potential constraints.
Ji Xu had to go to work every day, and he couldn’t be by Cheng Yue’s bed all the time to wake him up. Once Ji Xu went to work, Cheng Yue could sleep as long as he wanted.
“Go to school,” Ji Xu said.
“What time do I have to get up for school then!” Cheng Yue responded, annoyed and groggy. He had no problem going to his old school in the U.S. at 9 or 10.
Ji Xu raised an eyebrow, recognizing what Cheng Yue was thinking from his reaction. He answered bluntly, “In Chinese high schools, you wake up at 6 a.m.”
Translator’s note:
Do they really start at 6?? T__T Even I struggle so much when we have classes at 7 a.m.
